Use of Fluorogenic Proteinase Assays to Examine Protein Mobilization in Barley Varieties and Across Populations

Abstract
Improved methods for efficient sample extraction and proteinase assay have
simplified the estimation of malt proteinase activity, making feasible the
examination of larger sample sets than was possible previously. The ability to
characterize various proteinase activities across >10(^3) lines enables the use
of comprehensive, structured populations of barley germplasm to better
understand the interactions between proteinase activities, protein modification,
and other contributors to desirable malt characteristics. Application of the
assays to a snapshot of U.S. barley lines highlights differences between
cysteine- and serine-class endoproteinase functions during barley germination
and suggests previously unsuspected links between protein and carbohydrate
catabolism in the germinating seed.